Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-03-31
An Odd Character.

ZIG "iic Oh the Secretary OF the Navy.
An odd Character.
-
An odd character is Mai. c. G. Ben.
nett, who was sent to the city hospital
late one evening recently ly DIR. Priest.
de is well advanced toward the al
lotef four-score years and ten, and is
now broken in spirit and physique.
For sixteen years he was a resident Of
Honolulu, and only recently returned
to his w country. He is now in that
condition which is technically termed
ION his uppers," but, although the
drafts on his pocket are protested, his
fund of information is still replete.
81 first ven TO the Sandwich Islands
for my health" said the major. I'm
1891 started across the plains to Cali
%fornia, and while on top of the Sierra
Nevada mountains | was caught in a
snow-storm that came near ending nv
life. When rescscd ] could not speak,
and as a result sustained a severe
paralytic stroke. After stopping in
Frisco several years / went to the
Sandwich Islands, but only stopped a
short time. returned to Honolulu in
1860, and among my fellow-passengers
on the steamer was Sam Clemens, who
had already gained a reputation on the
coast as a humorist. He was then
writing for the Aia California ane the
Sacramento onion. He was about 80
years of age, and as jolly a fellow as
you ever saw, brimful of funny stories
which he was continually telling, and
whenever he heard - funny ona he
froze to it, dressed il up, and told & in
better style than he heard il.
"The women could shut him up,
though. He was what I'd call q BASH
full man, and whenever a lady appea red
near him he was as dumb AS an oyster.
If the female intruded in tho middle of
a yarn he shut up and sneakad off when
he found a good opportunity. Twain
only stopped on the islands a short
time, but he had many experiences that
he did not publish. The native girls
had great fun with him bathing in the
surf, and one time came near drown
ing him. Mark was a fair swimmer.
but no one except a native could swim
in the heavy surf that rolls on the
beaches. They used TO make the bath
more agreeable by securing a board
about four feet long on which they SUP
ported themselves. He went out ON n
board with a bevy Of batheis one day,
among whom were half a dozen native
girls IA years of age. They splashed,
ducked, and thumped him until the
breath was out of his body, and he was
dragged on the beach unconscious.
Then he was stood on his head, fitted
up, and dropped Ike u pile-driyer until
the water was supposed to be out OF
him. He revived under treatment but
didn't see the joke, and afterward re-
ferred TO the girls rs devils. He visited
the volcanoes, made canoe VOYAGES
around the island, tried to make some
of the savages laugh Mt his antics, and
then returned To Frisco"
"What is the native population Of
the islands now?'
''Five years ago il was 5000. and
the former population was $4,000.
Notwithstanding the glowing reports
semi by the missionaries from the
island, Christianity is a failure. The
natives have become 50 debassd and de-
graded by foreign contact that im-
morality is natural with them. Dis
ease, leprosy, and opium have entirely
decimatei the race. Two Chinmncs in
Honolulu pay a license of $4,000 each
per annum for the privilege OF selling
opium"
Were you acquainted with Claus
Spreckels?'
WAS L? Well, | should say SO.
When l iir.t went to Frisco in 1851 he
was keeping a gin-mill with a board
resting on two barrels for a counter.
When | went TO Honolulu he was there
again dealing in iiiuor in a small way.
He made money, bought up plantations
cheap, and soon. owned half the island.
He is now worth nearly 100000, 900,
and controls the sugar trade Of the
United States.
A Novel Way OF identifying Prison
There is a law im San Francisco,
aimed especially at the Chinese. requir-
ing that sleeping apartments shall con-
tain 500 cubic feet of pure air TO each
occupant. Recently, two San Francis
co police officers made raids on two
lod~ging-houses in the Chinese quarter,
and arrested ~forty-seven violators of
the law. As a matter of precaution,
SO that he might be able TO identify the
prisoners when they came into court,
one of the officers marked each with a
small sign written with ali aniline pen
ell. When the defendants were brought
before the Judge they were represent
ed by counsel, who declared that, as q
separate complaint had been filed
against each party accused, each would
have to be tried separately. The first
one called up was found guilty, he hav-
ing been identified by the small mark
on his neck. In the language Of the
day, the other defendants '.got on the
mark business" and in a few minGtcs
~forty-six Cinnamon were each observed
wetting the tip of the right index fin
ger with saliva and rubbing the spot
where the mark had been. Two more
Of the defendants were called for trial,
but each had to be discharged, as the
officer was unable 10 find the identifica-
ton mark. The cases Of the Others
were postponed.
81 started in the stationery business,
but the public would not read. i tried
to make them. and started a weekly,
the files of which you see over there